After Jordan, Emirates also furious with Netanyahu Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu not only managed to get into a diplomatic row with Jordan, he also succeeded in angering the Emiratis. Israel
Iran operating new advanced centrifuges, nuclear watchdog finds According to an International Atomic Energy Agency report, Iran is now using IR-4 centrifuges to enrich uranium in violation of the nuclear accord. Iran
Lawsuit filed to close pro-Kurdish party after lawmaker stripped of parliamentary seat Omer Faruk Gergerlioglu, a pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party deputy known to focus on human rights abuses, was stripped of his parliament seat and a lawsuit was filed to close the party March 17. Turkey
Netanyahu courts Arab voters as 'Abu Yair' Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has adopted a new strategy for the Arab public: cynically rebranding himself as "Abu Yair." Israel
Erdogan’s war on the market economy Challenging the tenets of the market economy, Turkish leaders have portrayed the country’s economic downturn as a foreign plot to discredit the government — an attitude that signals a dangerous course for Turkey. Turkey
Egypt pivots to medical tourism An Egyptian pharmaceutical company launched a campaign that highlights low-cost treatment to hepatitis C patients from all over the world as part of efforts to promote medical tourism to the country. Egypt
How Trump emboldens Netanyahu Has the victory of US President-elect Donald Trump reignited Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s dream of becoming an all-powerful president of Israel? Israel
Can Syrian Democratic Council play unifier in postwar Syria? In an interview with Al-Monitor, Ilham Ahmed, Kurdish co-president of the Syrian Democratic Council, discussed the reasons behind the council's establishment and its aspirations for Syria. Syria
Palestine prepares for 2017 general census The Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics is getting ready for the population, housing and establishment census in 2017, which will provide a statistical database for government development policies and plans. Palestine
Will Palestinians pay heavy price for Amona evacuation? Palestinians fear that Israel will destroy Palestinian homes, lift the construction freeze and resume work on hundreds of new settlement housing units to compensate the settlers for the evacuation of Amona. Palestine
Turkey scrambles to cut its losses in Syria Turkey’s Syria policies "lie in shreds"; Syrian Kurds coordinate with government forces in Aleppo; would Russia support federalism in Syria? Syria
Trump transition taps military generals, bankers The Trump administration is becoming top-heavy with military commanders and Wall Street businessmen. United States
How Islamic will Erdogan’s presidential system be? As the presidential system looks more probable than ever, Turkey’s pro-government pundits are looking for references for it within the Islamic tradition. Turkey
How one woman is standing up to Turkey’s purges A Turkish academic, expelled after the July 15 coup attempt, has kept up a solo protest in downtown Ankara since early November, despite frequent detentions and mistreatment by the police. Turkey
Putin lays out Moscow’s new Mideast strategy A new foreign policy strategy document released by Russia includes a comprehensive section on the Middle East — but will there be a shift in Moscow’s priorities in the region? Legacy: Gulf
Presidential election could let Iranian pollsters shine Contrary to perceptions of public opinion surveys in Iran being unreliable, Iranian pollsters are increasingly capable of providing high-quality polling data. Iran
